Chapter 71: Monkey Pretends to Be Someone Else to Subdue the Monster Hou, Guanyin Appears to Capture the Demon King

Form is emptiness, and emptiness is form; this truth has been known since ancient times. If one can fully comprehend the Zen of form and emptiness, what need is there for alchemy? Practice virtue diligently without slacking; work hard and endure hardship. When merits are complete, one can then ascend to heaven, forever retaining an unchanging immortal appearance.

It is said that Sai Tai Sui sealed all the entrances and exits, searching for the Pilgrim until dusk, but found no trace. Sitting on the Flaying Pavilion, he gathered his demons and issued commands, ordering them to guard every gate with bells and shouts, beat drums and clappers, string their bows, draw their swords, and stand watch throughout the night. It turned out that the Great Sage Sun had transformed into a foolish fly, clinging to the side of a door. Seeing the tight security at the front, he fluttered his wings and flew to the entrance of the imperial concubines' palace. There, he saw Queen Jinsheng lying prostrate on the imperial desk, weeping silently, her sorrowful sobs barely audible. The Pilgrim flew inside, lightly landing on her disheveled black hair bun, listening to what she was crying about. A moment later, the Queen suddenly cried out, "My lord! You and I—

"In a previous life, we burned joss sticks that caused separation, and in this life, we encountered this monstrous king. Separated like phoenixes for three years, when will we reunite? Divided like mandarin ducks, causing such sorrow. The elder sent to deliver our message scattered our happy union and lost a life. All because the golden bells were hard to understand, my longing is now even wilder than before."

Hearing this, the Pilgrim moved behind her earlobe and whispered, "Your Majesty, do not be afraid. I am still Elder Sun, the divine monk sent by your kingdom. I was not harmed. It was only because I was impatient that I secretly took the golden bells from your dressing table. While you were drinking with the demon king, I slipped away to the front pavilion and couldn't resist opening them to look. Unexpectedly, I pulled out the cotton plug, and with one sound of the bell, fireworks and yellow sand erupted. I panicked, dropped the golden bells, reverted to my true form, and wielding my iron staff, struggled to fight my way out. Fearing his deadly grasp, I transformed into a small fly, clinging to the door hinge, hiding until now. The demon king has tightened security even more and refuses to open the door. You must go and, using the pretense of a husband-and-wife ritual, coax him to come in and rest. Then I can escape and find another way to save you."

Upon hearing this, the Queen trembled so much her hair seemed to be pulled by a god, and her heart pounded like a mortar. With tears streaming down, she asked, "Are you a human or a ghost now?" The Pilgrim said, "I am neither human nor ghost; I am now a small fly here. Don't be afraid. Go quickly and invite the demon king." The Queen didn't believe him. With tears still falling, she whispered softly, "Don't be a nightmare to me." The Pilgrim said, "How could I be a nightmare to you? If you don't believe me, open your hand and let me jump down for you to see." The Queen truly opened her left hand, and the Pilgrim gently flew down, landing between her jade palms, just like a black bean fixed to the pistil of a lotus, a wandering bee resting on a peony; like a grape fallen into the heart of a hydrangea, or a dense black spot beside a lily branch.

Queen Jinsheng held up her jade palm and called out, "Divine monk!" The Pilgrim responded with a soft buzz, "I am the transformed divine monk." Only then did the Queen believe him. She whispered, "When I go to invite the demon king, how will you act?" The Pilgrim said, "The ancients said, 'Only wine can ruin a life.' And also, 'Nothing clears all troubles like wine.' Wine has many uses. You only need to prioritize drinking. Call in one of your personal maids, point her out to me, and I will transform into her appearance and attend by your side, making it easy for me to act."

The Queen truly followed his words and called out, "Where is Chunjiao?" From behind the screen, a fox spirit with a jade-like face appeared and knelt, asking, "Your Majesty, what command do you have for Chunjiao?" The Queen said, "Go tell them to light the gauze lanterns, burn the musk, and assist me to the front court to invite the Great King to rest." Chunjiao then went to the front, calling seven or eight monstrous deer and fox spirits. They carried two pairs of dragon lanterns and one censer, arrayed on either side. As the Queen bowed with clasped hands, the Great Sage had already flown away. The clever Pilgrim spread his wings and flew straight to the head of the fox spirit. He pulled out one of his hairs, blew a puff of immortal breath on it, and commanded, "Transform!" It turned into a sleeping insect, which he gently placed on her face. It turned out that when a sleeping insect lands on a person's face, it crawls into their nostrils, and once inside, the person immediately falls asleep. Chunjiao indeed gradually felt drowsy, couldn't stand steadily, and began to nod off. She quickly found her original sleeping spot, laid her head down, and started snoring deeply. The Pilgrim jumped down, shook himself, and transformed into the exact likeness of Chunjiao, then moved behind the screen to stand among the other attendants.

Meanwhile, as Queen Jinsheng walked forward, a minor demon saw her and immediately reported to Sai Tai Sui, "Great King, the Queen has arrived!" The demon king hurriedly came out of the Flaying Pavilion to greet her. The Queen said, "Great King, the fireworks have ceased, and the thief is gone. It is late at night, so I especially invite Your Majesty to rest." The demon was overjoyed. He said, "My Queen, take care. That thief earlier was Sun Wukong. He defeated my vanguard, killed my soldiers, transformed himself to sneak in and deceive us. Despite our thorough search, he vanished without a trace, which has made me uneasy." The Queen said, "That fellow must have escaped. Great King, please rest assured and go to sleep." Seeing the Queen respectfully standing and inviting him, the demon dared not refuse firmly. He simply ordered his demons to be careful with fire and vigilant against thieves, then proceeded with the Queen to the imperial concubines' palace. The Pilgrim, disguised as Chunjiao, led the way with the other attendants.

The Queen called out, "Arrange for wine to relieve the Great King's fatigue." The demon king laughed and said, "Yes, yes, indeed! Bring the wine quickly; I will drink with the Queen to calm our nerves." The fake Chunjiao, along with the other demons, immediately arranged fruits, prepared some meat, and set up tables and chairs. The Queen held out her cup, and the demon king also offered one. They exchanged cups. The fake Chunjiao, holding the wine pot beside them, said, "This is the first time the Great King and Queen have exchanged cups tonight. Please drink them dry and make it a 'double happiness' cup." They truly filled their cups again and drank them dry. The fake Chunjiao further said, "Great King and Queen, what a joyous gathering! Let the singing maids sing, and the dancing maids dance!" Before she finished speaking, a chorus of voices began, perfectly harmonized, some singing, some dancing. The two of them drank a lot more. The Queen stopped the singing and dancing. The maids divided into groups and stood outside the screen, with only the fake Chunjiao remaining to hold the pot and serve wine. The Queen and the demon king spoke intimately, like husband and wife. See how the Queen, with her tender affection, coaxed the demon king until he was weak and numb, yet he was unlucky and could not touch her. How pathetic! It was truly like a cat biting a bladder—empty joy!

After conversing and laughing for a while, the Queen asked, "Great King, your treasures weren't damaged, were they?" The demon king replied, "These treasures were forged from primeval matter; how could they be damaged? It's just that the thief pulled out the cotton plug and burned the leopard-skin pouch." The Queen asked, "How will you tidy them up?" The demon king said, "No need to tidy them; I'm wearing them at my waist." Hearing this, the fake Chunjiao immediately pulled out a handful of hairs, chewed them into powder, and gently moved closer to the demon king. She placed the hairs on his body, blew three breaths of immortal air, and secretly whispered, "Transform!" Those hairs instantly turned into three kinds of vile creatures: lice, fleas, and bedbugs, which burrowed into the demon king's body and bit his skin mercilessly.

The demon king was tormented by an unbearable itch. He reached into his robes, scratching and rubbing, and with his fingers, pinched out a few lice, bringing them closer to the lamp to examine them. When the Queen saw this, she quietly mused, "Great King, perhaps your undergarments are old and haven't been washed for a long time, which is why these creatures appeared." The demon king said, ashamed, "I have never had such creatures before; it's quite embarrassing tonight." The Queen laughed and said, "Why should the Great King be embarrassed? As the saying goes, even an emperor has three imperial lice on his body. Please take off your clothes, and I'll catch them for you." The demon king indeed unfastened his belt and took off his clothes. The fake Chunjiao, standing by, intently watched the demon king's body. Every layer of his clothing had fleas jumping, and every piece was covered with large bedbugs; parent and child lice were densely packed, like ants swarming out of their nest. Unconsciously, as she revealed the third layer where his skin was exposed, she saw countless lice and other insects swarming around the golden bells. The fake Chunjiao said, "Great King, hand me the bells; let me also catch the lice for you." The demon king, both ashamed and flustered, and unable to distinguish true from fake, handed the three bells to the fake Chunjiao. The fake Chunjiao took them into her hand, feigning examination for some time. Seeing the demon king shaking his clothes with his head bowed, she quickly hid the golden bells. She then pulled out one of her hairs, transformed it into three identical bells, and held them up to the lamp to examine them. She then squirmed and shook her body, gathering the lice, bedbugs, and fleas back onto her own body, and handed the fake golden bells to the demon. The demon took them into his hands, completely bewildered and clueless, unable to distinguish between true and fake. He held the bells with both hands and handed them to the Queen, saying, "This time, please keep them safe. Be very, very careful, unlike last time." The Queen received them, gently opened her clothes chest, put away the fake bells, locked them with a golden lock, and then resumed drinking a few more cups of wine with the demon king. She instructed the maids, "Clean the bed, and spread out the silk quilt. I shall sleep with the Great King." The demon king repeatedly said, "I am unworthy! I am unworthy! I dare not accompany you. I will take a palace maid and go to sleep in the Western Palace. Your Majesty, please make yourself comfortable." And so, they each returned to their respective sleeping quarters.

Meanwhile, the fake Chunjiao, having succeeded, put the treasures around his waist, revealed his true form, shook his body, retrieved the sleeping insect, and headed straight for the front. He heard the simultaneous sounds of clappers and bells, marking the third watch of the night. The clever Pilgrim, forming a hand seal and reciting a true incantation, used an invisibility spell and went directly to the door. Seeing the door was very tightly locked, he took out his Golden-Clasped Cudgel, pointed it at the door, and used his lock-breaking spell. The door gently opened. He quickly stepped out and stood there, calling out in a loud voice, "Sai Tai Sui! Give me back Queen Jinsheng!" He called out two or three times, startling all the demons, great and small. They rushed to look and saw the front door was open. They immediately lit lamps, found the lock, and re-locked the door, sending a few to run inside to report: "Great King! Someone outside the main gate is calling your esteemed name and demanding Queen Jinsheng!" The maids inside immediately came out of the palace gate and quietly passed the message: "Don't shout; the Great King just fell asleep." The Pilgrim called out loudly again at the gate, but the minor demons still dared not disturb him. This happened three or four times, and they all dared not report it. The Great Sage continued making a commotion outside until dawn. Unable to restrain himself, he swung his iron staff and went forward to bash the door. All the demons, great and small, panicked, some holding the door, others reporting the news. The demon king, just awakening, heard the chaotic clamor. He got up, dressed, and came out from behind his bed curtains, asking, "What's all the noise about?" The maids knelt and replied, "Master, we don't know who has been cursing outside the cave all night, and now they are banging on the door." The demon king walked out of the palace gate and saw the few reporting demons frantically kowtowing. They said, "Someone outside is cursing and demanding Queen Jinsheng! If we say even half a 'no,' he utters countless absurd and offensive words. Since Your Majesty did not come out at dawn, he was forced to bang on the door." The demon said, "Don't open the door yet. Go ask where he is from, what his name is, and quickly report back." A minor demon quickly went out and asked through the door, "Who is banging on the door?" The Pilgrim replied, "I am the maternal grandfather invited by the Kingdom of Purpuria! I've come to take Queen Jinsheng back to her country!" The minor demon heard this and immediately reported it. The demon king then went to the imperial concubines' palace to inquire about the origin of this "maternal grandfather." It turned out the Queen had just woken up and had not yet dressed or combed her hair, when a maid reported, "Master is here!" The Queen hastily tidied her clothes, loosely pinned her black hair, and came out of the palace to greet him. She had just sat down and had not yet had a chance to ask when she heard another minor demon report, "That 'maternal grandfather' has already broken down the door!" The demon king laughed and said, "Queen, how many generals and commanders does your court have?" The Queen replied, "At court, there are forty-eight military guards, a thousand brave generals, and countless marshals and commanders-in-chief in various border regions." The demon king asked, "Is there anyone named 'Wai' (Outside)?" The Queen replied, "While in the palace, I only assisted the King and taught the concubines morning and evening. External affairs are boundless; how could I remember names and surnames?" The demon king said, "This person calls himself 'Wai Gong' (maternal grandfather). I recall that among all the Chinese surnames, there is no surname 'Wai.' Your Majesty is intelligent by nature, of noble birth, and living in the imperial palace, you must have read many books. Do you remember any book that has this surname?" The Queen said, "Only the 'Thousand Character Classic' has a line 'waishou fuxun' (outside receiving instructions from a tutor). Perhaps that is it."

The demon king rejoiced, "It must be! It must be!" He immediately rose, bid farewell to the Queen, went to the Flaying Pavilion, prepared himself, summoned his demon soldiers, opened the gate, and went outside. Holding a Xuanhua Axe, he loudly called out, "Who is the 'Maternal Grandfather' from the Kingdom of Purpuria?" The Pilgrim gripped his Golden-Clasped Cudgel in his right hand, and with his left hand pointed, he said, "My dear nephew, what do you want with me?" Seeing this, the demon king was furious and exclaimed, "You rascal— Your face is like a monkey's, your features like an ape's. Seventy percent truly a ghost, yet you dare to deceive people!"

The Pilgrim laughed and said, "You monstrous imp, who deceives your superiors and insults your king, you are truly blind! When I caused havoc in the Heavenly Palace five hundred years ago, not one of the Nine Heavens' divine generals dared to address me with an 'old' prefix. How is calling me 'maternal grandfather' a loss for you?" The demon king roared, "Quickly tell me your name and surname, and what martial arts you possess, that you dare to be so presumptuous here!" The Pilgrim said, "It would be better if you didn't ask my name. If you insist on me telling you, I'm afraid you won't have a place to stand! Come closer, stand firm, and listen to me—

"Born from heaven and earth, a sacred embryo formed from the essence of sun and moon. Conceived within an immortal stone for countless years, a spiritual root nurtured in such a wondrous way! That year I was born under the Three Yangs' auspiciousness, today I return to truth with all things in harmony. I once gathered demons and was hailed as their chief, able to subdue all monsters who bowed at Dan Cliff. The Jade Emperor sent down a decree, Taibai Jinxing brought the imperial edict. Invited me to heaven to inherit a post, but the official title of 'Bima Wen' (Keeper of the Horses) did not please me. My initial intent was to rebel from my mountain cave, boldly raising an army to disrupt the imperial steps. Pagoda-bearing King Li and his princes, in one clash, were utterly defeated. Taibai Jinxing reported again to the Mystic Sky Emperor, who once more sent down an edict for pacification. Appointed me 'Great Sage Equalling Heaven,' only then was I considered a pillar of talent. Again, I disrupted the Peach Banquet, relying on wine to steal elixirs, bringing disaster. Lord Lao Zi personally reported to the emperor, the Queen Mother of the West bowed at the Jade Terrace. Knowing it was I who defied the law, immediately celestial troops were deployed with fire commands. One hundred thousand fierce stars and malevolent constellations, with shields, spears, swords, and halberds arrayed densely. Heavenly nets and earthly snares were spread across the mountains, all raising their weapons for a grand battle. A fierce fight ensued with no victor, then Guanyin recommended Erlang. The two sides clashed to determine superiority; he had his brothers from Plum Mountain. Each displayed heroism and transformations; the three sages opened the cloud at the Heavenly Gate. Lord Lao Zi threw his Diamond Jade Circlet, and the gods captured me and brought me to the golden steps. No need for detailed consent or written confession; the crime was worthy of slow slicing, execution, and disaster. Axes chopping, hammers pounding could not harm my life; how could rotating blades or slashing swords injure my essence? Fire burning, thunder striking were but this; there was no way to destroy my long-lived body. Escorted to the Tushita Palace of the Grand Pure One, fully arranged for refining in the furnace. When the time was up, the cauldron was opened, and I leaped out from the center. Wielding this Ruyi Cudgel, I turned and struck the Jade Dragon Terrace. All stars and constellations hid away; I rampaged through the Heavenly Palace as I pleased. The Spirit Official on patrol hastily invited the Buddha, Shakyamuni contended with me. Within his palm, I somersaulted, traveling throughout the cosmos, going and returning. The Buddha used his foresight and deceptive method, and I was pinned down at the edge of heaven. It has been over five hundred years since then, and my humble body is released and mischievous once more. Specifically to protect Tripitaka on his journey to the West, Sun Wukong, the Pilgrim, is very clear. On the path to the West, I subdue demons and monsters; what evil demon is not afraid of me!"

When the demon king heard him utter the name "Wukong the Pilgrim," he said, "So you are the fellow who caused havoc in the Heavenly Palace! Since you escaped and are protecting Tripitaka on his journey west, you should just go your way. Why are you meddling in affairs, acting as a slave for the Kingdom of Purpuria, and coming here to seek death?" The Pilgrim roared, "You monstrous thief, how ignorant your words are! I received the respectful invitation from the Kingdom of Purpuria, and I was honored by their address and hospitality. Old Sun is a thousand times higher than any king's position! They respect me like parents and serve me like a god. How dare you utter the words 'acting as a slave'! You monster who deceives superiors and insults kings, don't run! Take a blow from your 'maternal grandfather'!" The demon panicked, quickly dodged, and used his Xuanhua Axe to meet the attack head-on. What a fierce battle it was! Behold:

The Golden-Clasped Ruyi Cudgel, the wind-bladed Xuanhua Axe. One grinding his teeth in fierce rage, the other gritting his teeth to display might. This one was the Great Sage Equalling Heaven descended to the mortal world, that one was the monstrous king who came to this land. Both spewed clouds and exhaled mist, illuminating the sky; truly, they sent rocks flying and sand swirling, obscuring the Big Dipper. They moved back and forth with many maneuvers, repeatedly emitting golden light. Both displayed their skills, each gambling with their magical powers. This one wanted to take the Queen back to the imperial capital, that one delighted in keeping the Queen in his mountain den. This entire confrontation was without cause, but they fought to the death for the sake of the king.

The two fought for fifty rounds without a decisive outcome. The demon king saw that the Pilgrim's skills were formidable and knew he couldn't win. He parried his iron staff with his axe and said, "Sun Wukong, hold on. I haven't had my breakfast yet. Let me eat, and then I'll come back to decide who's stronger." The Pilgrim knew he intended to get the bells. He withdrew his iron staff and said, "A good man doesn't chase a tired rabbit; go on, go on! Eat your fill, so you'll be strong enough to face your death!"

The demon quickly turned and rushed inside, saying to the Queen, "Quickly, bring the treasures!" The Queen asked, "What do you need the treasures for?" The demon king said, "The one who challenged me this morning is the disciple of the scripture-seeking monk, called Sun Wukong the Pilgrim, falsely claiming to be your 'maternal grandfather.' I fought him until now, with no winner. I'll take the treasures out and unleash some fireworks to burn this monkey head." When the Queen heard this, her heart was in turmoil: if she didn't take out the bells, she feared he would become suspicious; if she took them out, she feared it would harm Sun Wukong's life. While she was still hesitating, the demon king pressed her again, "Quickly, bring them out!" The Queen had no choice but to open the lock and hand the three bells to the demon king. The demon king took them and walked out of the cave. The Queen sat in the palace, tears raining down, wondering if the Pilgrim could escape with his life. Neither of them knew they were fake bells.

The demon, having come out of the door, immediately gained the upper hand and shouted, "Sun Wukong, don't run! Watch me shake the bells!" The Pilgrim laughed and said, "You have bells, and I don't? You can shake them, and I can't?" The demon king said, "What bells do you have? Show them to me." The Pilgrim squeezed his iron staff into an embroidery needle, hid it in his ear, then untied the three genuine treasures from his waist and said to the demon king, "Aren't these my Purple Golden Bells?" When the demon king saw them, his heart was startled, and he exclaimed, "Strange, strange! How are his bells exactly like mine? Even if they were cast from the same mold, there should be some difference in the polishing, perhaps an extra mark or a missing stem. How can they be so precisely identical?" He then asked, "Where did your bells come from?" The Pilgrim replied, "My dear nephew, where did your bells come from?" The demon king, being simple-minded, then said, "My bells are— The Grand Pure Immortal Lord's Dao is profound and ancient; long was the gold refined in the Eight Trigrams Furnace. Thus formed these bells, called ultimate treasures, left by Lord Lao Zi until today."

The Pilgrim laughed and said, "Old Sun's bells also came from that time." The demon king asked, "How did they come about?" The Pilgrim said, "My bells are— When the Daoist Ancestor refined elixirs in the Tushita Palace, golden bells were forged in the furnace. Two times three is six, a cyclical treasure; mine are the female and yours are the male." The demon king said, "The bells are treasures of golden elixirs, not birds or beasts; how can male and female be distinguished? As long as they produce treasure when shaken, that's what matters!" The Pilgrim said, "Words alone are no proof; let's see by action. I'll let you shake first." The demon king truly swung the first bell three times, but no fire appeared; he swung the second three times, but no smoke appeared; he swung the third three times, and no sand appeared either. The demon king was flustered and exclaimed, "Strange, strange! The world has changed! These bells must be afraid of their 'female counterpart'—the male seeing the female, that's why nothing is coming out." The Pilgrim said, "My dear nephew, stop your hand; let me also shake them for you to see." The clever monkey gripped all three bells at once and began shaking them. Behold, red fire, green smoke, and yellow sand all poured out simultaneously, scorching trees and burning mountains with a rumbling sound! The Great Sage then recited a spell and, facing the southeast, cried out, "Come, wind!" Truly, the wind fueled the fire, and the fire intensified the wind's power, producing blazing red flames and dense black smoke, filling the sky with fire and smoke and the ground with yellow sand! Sai Tai Sui was so terrified his spirit scattered, finding himself with no escape. How could he survive amidst that fire?

Suddenly, a stern voice echoed from mid-air, "Sun Wukong! I have arrived!" The Pilgrim quickly looked up and saw it was Guanyin Bodhisattva. In her left hand, she held a pure vase, and in her right, a willow branch, sprinkling sweet dew to extinguish the fire. The Pilgrim hastily hid the bells at his waist, then clasped his hands and prostrated himself. The Bodhisattva continuously flicked her willow branch, sprinkling a few drops of sweet dew. In an instant, the smoke and fire vanished, and the yellow sand disappeared without a trace. The Pilgrim kowtowed and said, "I did not know the Great Compassionate One would descend to the mortal world; I failed to make way. May I ask where Bodhisattva is going?" The Bodhisattva replied, "I have come specifically to retrieve this monster."

The Pilgrim asked, "What is the origin of this monster, that you would condescend to descend in your golden form to reclaim it?" The Bodhisattva replied, "He is my golden-haired lion. Because the herdsman fell asleep and was negligent, this beast broke its iron chain and escaped, coming here to resolve the calamity for the King of Purpuria." Hearing this, the Pilgrim quickly bowed and said, "Bodhisattva, you have it backward. He is here deceiving the king and queen, corrupting morals and customs, causing disaster for the king, yet you say it is to resolve a calamity. Why is this?" The Bodhisattva said, "You do not know this. At that time, when the previous king of Purpuria was on the throne, this current king was still the Crown Prince and had not yet ascended. In his youth, he was very fond of hunting. He led his men, releasing hawks and hounds, and arrived at Fallen Phoenix Slope. There, two peacock chicks, male and female, born of the Western Buddha Mother Mahamayuri Vidyarajni Bodhisattva, were resting their wings at the foot of the slope. The king drew his bow and shot and wounded the male peacock, and the female peacock also flew west with an arrow. After the Buddha Mother repented, she decreed that he should suffer the separation of phoenixes for three years and be afflicted with illness. At that time, I was riding this lion, and I also heard these words. Unexpectedly, this beast took it to heart, and thus came to deceive the Queen and resolve the calamity for the King. Now, three years have passed, and the karmic retribution is fulfilled. Fortunately, you came to cure the king's illness, so I have specifically come to reclaim this evil demon."

The Pilgrim said, "Bodhisattva, although this is the story, how can it be that he defiled the Queen, corrupted morals and customs, ruined ethics, and violated laws? He deserves to die for this. Now that Bodhisattva has personally descended, you may spare him his death sentence, but you cannot spare him his living punishment. Let me hit him twenty times with my staff, and then you can take him away." The Bodhisattva said, "Wukong, since you know I have descended to the mortal world, you should, for my sake, forgive him entirely. This will also count as your meritorious deed in subduing the demon. If you strike him with your staff, he will surely die." The Pilgrim dared not disobey. He bowed and said, "Since Bodhisattva is taking him back to the sea, please do not allow him to descend privately to the human world again, lest he cause great harm!" Only then did the Bodhisattva let out a shout, "You wicked beast! When will you revert to your true form?!" Immediately, the monster rolled over, revealed its true form, shook its furry coat, and the Bodhisattva mounted it. The Bodhisattva then looked down at its neck but did not see the three golden bells. The Bodhisattva said, "Wukong, return my bells." The Pilgrim replied, "Old Sun doesn't know anything about them." The Bodhisattva roared, "You thieving monkey! If you hadn't stolen these bells, let alone one Wukong, even ten Wukongs wouldn't dare come near! Hand them over quickly!" The Pilgrim laughed and said, "I truly haven't seen them." The Bodhisattva said, "Since you haven't seen them, let me recite the 'Band-tightening Incantation.'" The Pilgrim panicked and cried out, "Don't recite it, don't recite it! The bells are right here!" This aptly illustrates: Who can untie the golden bells on the *hou*'s neck? The one who tied the bells must be asked to untie them. The Bodhisattva placed the bells around the *hou*'s neck and ascended high into the air, sitting majestically. Behold, lotus flowers bloomed ablaze from its four feet, and golden threads shimmered all over its body. With great compassion, she returned to the South Sea.

Meanwhile, the Great Sage Sun tidied his clothes, swung his iron staff, and charged into the Xiezhi Cave, killing all the demons and monsters there without mercy. He cleared them out completely. He went directly to the palace and invited Queen Jinsheng to return to her country. The Queen bowed to him endlessly. The Pilgrim recounted in detail the Bodhisattva's subduing of the demon and the reason for the separation of the phoenixes. He found